


six degrees of separation

by leahkeehl13



Category: It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-04
Updated: 2018-03-04
Packaged: 2019-03-26 19:52:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,003
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13864839
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/leahkeehl13/pseuds/leahkeehl13
Summary: Mac and Dennis are right next to each other, but they create artificial barriers between them to avoid acknowledging their own desires.





	six degrees of separation

**Author's Note:**

> I couldn't get this title/concept out of my head, so hopefully this makes sense to other people as well.

_three degrees of separation_

“ _Smell that vinegar boiling up inside you. But I need you to save some of it for the customer._ _Do that for me_ _, okay,_ _baby boy_?”

Dennis is touching Mac with abandon.

Casual touches, running his fingers through Mac’s hair, straightening his collar.  Light brushes of skin that make Mac, no, Vic, feel like there are a thousand butterflies in his stomach.  

Dennis, no, Hugh, links his arm though Mac’s and he feels at once larger and smaller.

There is business to attend to, however, and Mac loses himself in Vic.  Vic is loud, Vic doesn’t care about what others think, Vic doesn’t mind being touched by a man.  If Vic were gay, he probably wouldn’t even care.

When the scheme changes to Dee’s stupid baby plan, they become a wealthy gay couple instead.  They exchange their yellow suits for sweater vests and white corduroys.  Dennis touches him constantly now.  A gentle guiding hand on the small of his back as they walk to the car, light strokes along his thigh as they drive over.

_Partners in real estate and partners in life._

Most of Mac knows that it’s make-believe, but part of him thinks maybe they’re already partners in life.  As they dive in the cool water of the swimming pool they forget Hugh and Vic on the sidelines with their clothes.

 

Later, when they’re back at Paddy’s forgetting the events of the day, Dennis kisses him.  

Mac pulls back in surprise.  “Dennis, what?”

In an instant, Dennis’s face turns to stone.  “It’s Hugh, remember?”

“But-” Dennis, no, Hugh, silences him with another kiss.

Mac, no, Vic, has never felt like this before.  His skin feels tight and he kisses Dennis, no, Hugh, back hungrily, his fingernails scraping roughly over Hugh’s back.  

They kiss clumsily and roughly, but they are both drunk and tired and soon they give up and drive home.  Dennis turns on loud music in the car and when they reach their apartment they go to bed without speaking.

 

_two degrees of separation_

Finding out that Mac watches all of Dennis’s sex tapes totally changed the game for him.

It used to be something that he just liked to do, it gave him something to watch later and there was a sick kind of pleasure that he got out of lying about it to the women.  The thrill that he knew something that they didn't.  How angry they would be if they knew…

It was a casual thing.  Not anything at all, really.

But now it’s all he thinks about while he’s sleeping with them.  

The entire time he’s preparing, going through his steps, talking to them, it’s almost like he can’t even hear himself.  All he can imagine is Mac watching him later.  What Mac will pay attention to.  What he will like.

When he walks in front of the camera he does it slowly, stretching out all of his movements.  When possible he makes eye contact with the camera, knowing that will give Mac quite the thrill...

He imagines Mac getting hard, imagines him touching himself, imagines him moaning his name.

He tries never to frame the girl in the shot. No, Mac doesn’t want to see that.

What Mac wants to see is him, Dennis, in all his glory.

He always finishes picturing Mac in his mind and sometimes has to bite his lip to keep from saying his name out loud.

 

_one degree of separation_

They’re both drunk.

More than usual.

Dennis is stumbling, giddy, hysterical with laughter over a joke he told.

Mac is loudly slurring his words, shouting something about guns and freedom.

It’s been hours since last call and gradually Mac and Dennis realize they are the only ones left in the bar.  Dee and Charlie are nowhere to be seen and the last regular is slumped, passed out, in a booth.

At some point, Dennis isn’t laughing anymore.  He makes pointed eye contact with Mac and pours a shot of tequila. He doesn’t bother with a lime, just slams it straight back, never breaking eye contact.

Mac is silent now too, just watching as Dennis pours a second shot and drinks that as well. And then a third.

“Want a shot, baby?”  Dennis’s voice seems loud and strange in the silence.

Mac nods and Dennis pours him a shot, the bottle sloshing amber liquid on the counter.

Mac takes the shot and Dennis refills it wordlessly. After two more Mac is feeling floaty, numb, his thoughts seem close but out of reach.  

Dennis isn’t behind the bar anymore.  

Dennis is right next to him.

Dennis is touching his arm, rubbing circles with his thumb.  And then stroking his face, gently, he sounds like he’s asking something.  Mac moans, hoping that works as a response.

And Dennis is kissing him, hard, biting his lip and sucking aggressively.  And he’s kissing back and it’s just like it’s 2009 again except this time it doesn’t matter that they’re Mac and Dennis because they’re drunk and this doesn’t count and Dennis is moaning and pulling at his shirt and it feels so good that he’s almost not even scared.

They pull each other’s shirts off roughly, fabric stretching and buttons ripping. Finally they’re pressed against one another, their warm skin flushed, their bodies fitting together perfectly.  A fleeting thought comes into Mac’s mind that maybe this is what it should have been all along, maybe this is where it’s all going.

They explore each other’s bodies roughly.  It’s all hands, sloppy and clumsy.  It’s not the best for either of them, but they both finish and it’s fine.  

And then they’re kissing again, both flushed and out of breath.  Breathing heavily into each other’s mouths.  The sour taste of tequila on both of their breaths.

And Dennis is calling him baby.

And Mac feels so happy that he might just float away.

And Dennis is whispering in his ear, _we’ll black out, this doesn’t count_.

 

And they do.  And it doesn’t.


End file.
